TomDispatch: The Persecution of John Kiriakou
Summary: In this blog piece, State Department whistleblower/GAP client Peter Van Buren blasts the federal government for its prosecution of CIA torture whistleblower/GAP client John Kiriakou under the Espionage Act. Van Buren writes that Kiriakou is the only person “being held accountable for America’s torture policy. And [he] didn’t torture anyone, he just blew the whistle on it.”
Key Quote: John Kiriakou and I share common attorneys through the Government Accountability Project, and I’ve had the chance to talk with him on any number of occasions. He is soft-spoken, thoughtful, and quick to laugh at a bad joke. When the subject turns to his case, and the way the government has treated him, however, things darken. His sentences get shorter and the quick smile disappears.
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One of Kiriakou’s representatives, attorney Jesselyn Radack, told me, “It is a miscarriage of justice that John Kiriakou is the only person indicted in relation to the Bush-era torture program. The historic import cannot be understated. If a crime as egregious as state-sponsored torture can go unpunished, we lose all moral standing to condemn other governments’ human rights violations. By ‘looking forward, not backward’ we have taken a giant leap into the past.”
Main Justice: Two ATF Whistleblowers Settle Fast and Furious Claims
Summary: Two of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives whistleblowers in the “Fast & Furious” scandal have settled their claims that they were retaliated against by the agency for exposing the botched “gun-walking” operation. One, Larry Alt, is a GAP client.
Key Quote: “[ATF agent] Mr. Alt has been vindicated, and new ATF leadership is two-for-two in correcting retaliatory acts against Fast & Furious whistleblowers,” Tom Devine, Alt’s lawyer and Legal Director of Government Accountability Project, said in a statement. “Justice was done thanks to leadership at the Bureau and the Office of Special Counsel, each of which is choosing the high road with whistleblowers.”
Summary: This column argues that, in light of the major payout to UBS whistleblower Brad Birkenfeld, the UK should consider financial incentives for its whistleblowers.
GAP National Security & Human Rights Director Jesselyn Radack commented on Birkenfeld’s case in a blog post this morning.
Ithaca Journal (NY): Cornell University Loses Appeal in Whistleblower Lawsuit
Summary: Cornell University has lost its appeal in a whistleblower case, alleging the school’s medical college and a former faculty member made false claims to the federal government about a research grant. The grant was intended to train fellows in HIV/AIDS research, but, according to the whistleblower, the fellows only saw three cases of HIV-positive patients out of 165.
Former DeCoster (now Centrum Valley Farms) Facility Still Haunted by Salmonella
Summary: The Iowa farm formerly owned by egg tycoon Jack DeCoster that was linked to the 2010 Salmonella outbreak was taken over Centrum Valley Farms last year. While that company promised to improve egg safety, Salmonella contamination issues seem to remain. GAP's Food Integrity Campaign reports.
ABC News (Australia): Whistleblower Claims Widespread Loan Fraud
Summary: The Australian bank sector is facing major allegations of fraud and deceptive practices from industry whistleblowers. This in-depth segment looks at the consequences of these fraudulent practices.
Hannah Johnson is Communications Associate for the Government Accountability Project, the nation's leading whistleblower protection and advocacy organization.
